I have been a vegetarian for almost 2 years, and I have never been a fan of fake meat. Instead, I would always opt for things with bread and cheese or pasta and cheese, etc, instead of really adding more vegetables to my diet. But since I have been trying to lose weight, I have removed the cheese option from my diet be deciding to stick to a vegan diet and really make an effort to add more fruits, veggies, and whole grains to my diet.

One of the reasons I don’t usually like fake meat is because often it is still a highly processed food. But I had been hearing so much about Gardien that I thought I would give it a try. Gardien has two types of products, fresh (these would usually be in the produce section of a regular supermarket, or in the vegetarian refrigerated section) and frozen (these would obviously be in the freezer section). My supermarket only had frozen Gardein products, but I have seen fresh versions at whole foods before. I bought 2 different products, so this post is reviewing the first one.

Gardien crispy tenders. The cooking instructions were simple, oven at 430, 12 mins on one side, 6 mins on the other (or until crispy). They smelled great in the oven, and I just made a simple side salad to have with them for a quick lunch.

The texture of the crispy tenders was good, they were well seasoned (I didn’t add anything to them), and very tasty. It’s not something I would eat every day, but I think its a nice addition for when we just want to change it up a little.

If you want to try Gardien, but don’t feel like going out and buying their products to make at home, Chipotle is testing out Gardien in some of their locations. They are calling in “Garden Blend”. They are offering it at the following Chipotle restaurants:

333 E. Alameda
 Avenue
Denver, CO 80209
303-733-1331

149 8th Ave. (cross street: 17th street)
New York, NY 10011
212-620-4015

1629 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20009
202-387-8261

Since I started eating better I am eating much more fresh fruits and veggies than ever before, and I have seen a huge change in the way I look and feel. But as I continue to educate myself about more responsible ways of eating (and shopping) I’m learning that trying to buy and eat organic isn’t always cheep! And that is a big reason why many people don’t do it. It’s simply easier to buy whatever is on sale with no concern for what’s local or what’s in season.

I really wanted to find a more effective and less expensive way for me to get fresh, local, and organic produce. So after doing some research I discovered local CSA’s. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.

From localharvest.org:

Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a “membership” or a “subscription”) and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

Advantages for farmers:

• Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm’s cash flow
• Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow

Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from “their” farm – even veggies they’ve never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown

This sounded like a perfect solution to me (it also sounded like a great opportunity for social media). After doing some research I came across Golden Earthworm Organic Farm.

Of course I was smitten with their beautiful website (hosted on squarespace no less), they have a twitter account and they have a great CSA program. Unlike some other CSA’s I found, where your food may be coming from a few different farms, Golden Earthworm is one farm that would be providing all your produce. That allows you a much better connection to who is growing your food.

So here’s how it works. You pick a type of share (I would choose the Vegetable CSA Share which is certified organic) It’s a 26-week membership share (June – November). Produce is picked fresh from the fields, boxed up, and delivered to the pick-up location. This share contains 6 to 10 items each week, depending on the season and availability.

Here is an example the first share from last season:

1 bunch Baby Bok Choi
1 bunch Beets
1 bunch French Breakfast Radishes
1 bunch Rhubarb
1 bunch Japanese White Salad Turnips
1 bag Arugula -or- Spinach
2 heads of Lettuce or 1 head of Lettuce and 1 bag Salad Mix

You can see other examples of what you could expect to receive throughout the harvest here.

So I found a farm that I like, but now I will have to wait till June before I can start receiving produce from the harvest. I’ll keep you updated. You can find a local CSA near you through LocalHarvest.org

Are any of you a member of a CSA? Do you like it?

So since no one really seemed to have any input on what I blog about, or where, I’m just going to write about what I have been wanting to write about for a while. For a long time I tried to keep this blog mainly about social media and online tools, and while that is still a huge part of my interests, lately I’ve been wanting to talk about something that is very different. That is, food.

A few weeks ago I posted on my tumblr that I was tired of feeling overweight, and that I was ready to do something about it. I put myself on a healthy diet that consisted of lots of fresh produce (fruits and veggies), whole grains, and to try and keep all of my indulgences vegan (that has helped me to not fall of the wagon by eating a huge bagel and cream cheese every time I have a bad day). And I started to exercise more (mainly yoga and walking).

I’ve been posting updates on my tumblr about how much weight I’ve lost, and it has really helped me to feel the support of a community who wants you to achieve your goals. So far I have lost 7 lbs! So I wanted to share this with you all so that you won’t be as confused when I start writing about healthy eating, supporting local farms, vegan recipes, etc.